Salon.com > Brian Bakst

Fewer qualms for gun-rights groups over Romney now

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 08:56:00 +0000

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Gun-rights groups perceive President Barack Obama as a threat to unfettered access to firearms. They once had qualms about Mitt Romney, too.

But times and circumstances have changed for Romney, the GOP presidential nominee now in tune with the National Rifle Association and similar organizations, whose members are motivated voters.

In the tight White House race, every bit of support helps, especially in the most closely contested states and particularly from groups that claim millions of members nationwide.

Romney's prior embrace of weapon-control proposals had put him crossways with the NRA and others. These days, Romney is on their good side by opposing renewal of a federal ban on semiautomatic weapons, additional regulations on gun shows and suggested federal gun registration requirements.

The NRA and some less prominent organizations are spending big money on mailings, radio ads, TV commercials and booths at game fairs to promote the former Massachusetts governor and portray Obama as hostile to gun rights.

Gun groups are an important part of an outdoor enthusiast network that neither side is willing to concede.

Bachmann planning presidential run announcement

Fri, 27 May 2011 13:57:22 +0000

Republican Michele Bachmann is making plans for a presidential campaign announcement next month in Waterloo, Iowa, the city where the Minnesota congresswoman was born.

Bachmann trickled out the details in a conference call with reporters Thursday night but said she could still reverse course and sit out the 2012 White House campaign.

Bachmann was supposed to speak in person at a GOP dinner in downtown Des Moines, but a vote in Washington turned the appearance into a video message. Hundreds of Republicans watched her via a blurry, choppy Internet feed, where she profusely apologized for her absence and offered a rain check. The feed briefly cut out but aides quickly dialed back in.

Bachmann went on to speak about fighting terrorism, defending America's founding documents and opposing legislation to raise the federal debt ceiling.

The Minnesota congresswoman says she has staff lined up in the states that start the presidential nominating process: Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.

She says strong fundraising and other indicators make her confident about making a run.

It was a bizarre scene for an almost-campaign announcement.

Reporters huddled around a Des Moines hotel podium where Bachmann spoke from Washington.

Pawlenty will announce presidential run Monday

Fri, 20 May 2011 15:30:00 +0000

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty is running for the GOP presidential nomination and will announce his bid Monday in Iowa.

That's according to an adviser with direct knowledge of the plans. The adviser tells The Associated Press Pawlenty will declare his candidacy at a town hall style event in Des Moines, Iowa. The adviser disclosed the information on condition of anonymity.

Pawlenty will make the announcement in the state with the leadoff nominating caucuses and then head to Florida, New Hampshire, New York and Washington, D.C.

The move was widely expected. The 50-year-old Pawlenty has been laying the groundwork for a run for more than a year. He took the first step in March by setting up an exploratory committee and he has built campaign operations in several key states.

Pawlenty announces White House exploratory committee

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 22:10:00 +0000

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty pressed toward a White House campaign Monday by formally announcing an exploratory committee with a call for backers to help him "take back our government."

"At a young age, I saw up close the face of challenge, the face of hardship and the face of job loss," the Republican said in a two-minute video message designed to appeal to tea party activists and GOP rank and file facing economic insecurity.

"Over the last year I've traveled to nearly every state in the country and I know many Americans are feeling that way today. I know that feeling. I lived it. But there is a brighter future for America."

The optimistic note harkened to another upbeat politician: President Barack Obama, who ran on the message of hope and change in 2008.

Pawlenty's announcement of the exploratory committee almost certainly will lead to a full-blown candidacy for the GOP nomination in a field that has been slow to form. The winner would face the daunting task of unseating an incumbent president.

Pawlenty takes first step toward presidential bid

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 14:34:00 +0000

Tim Pawlenty, the former Minnesota governor struggling for name recognition against better-known Republicans eying the presidency, plans to take the first formal step toward the nomination Monday, aides said.

Pawlenty was expected to announce on Facebook at 3 p.m. EDT that he was forming a presidential exploratory committee, according to advisers. They spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity in advance of the formal statement on the social media site.

The exploratory committee would clear the way for Pawlenty to raise money and hire campaign staff. It would require him to file formal paperwork with the Federal Election Commission.

Pawlenty, a conservative Republican who ran a Democratic-leaning state for two terms, has methodically moved toward a national campaign since announcing in 2009 that he wouldn't seek a third term. Since then, he stepped up his travel to early contest states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, recruited Republican aides with presidential campaign experience, and courted GOP donors.

A Minnesota recount could hurt Democratic chances

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 13:23:00 +0000

Here's how bad it is for Minnesota Democrats: They could wind up losing, even in a race they might have won.

A potential recount in Minnesota's race for governor might eventually crown Democrat Mark Dayton the winner but drag on so long that the Legislature convenes in January with retiring GOP Gov. Tim Pawlenty staying in office.

Democrats fear that Republicans newly in charge of both chambers will combine with Pawlenty to push through massive spending cuts and pursue long-held goals on things like banning gay marriage, enacting photo ID for voters and expanded gambling.

It's a scenario that could also benefit Pawlenty, who had planned to spend January rolling out his memoir and deciding whether to run for president. Staying in office, especially with the backdrop of a nationally watched recount, would endear him to Republicans and give him a highly visible perch to polish his credentials as a fiscal watchdog.

"Any of my personal plans or concerns are secondary to the fact I have a duty and responsibility to fulfill under the constitution," Pawlenty told The Associated Press in an interview. "I'm not going to walk away from that."

Target apologizes for Minnesota political donation

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 19:03:00 +0000

The head of Target Corp. apologized Thursday over a political donation to a business group backing a conservative Republican for Minnesota governor, which angered some employees and sparked talk of a customer boycott.

Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel wrote employees to say the discount retailer was "genuinely sorry" over the way a $150,000 contribution to MN Forward donation played out. Steinhafel said Target would set up a review process for future political donations.

MN Forward is running TV ads supporting Republican Tom Emmer, an outspoken conservative opposed to same-sex marriage and other gay-rights initiatives that have come before Minnesota's Legislature.

Steinhafel said the contribution from the corporate treasury to a political effort, which until this year wasn't allowed, was designed to support Emmer's stance on economic issues. Ads run by the group were focused on budget policy, not social issues.

"While I firmly believe that a business climate conducive to growth is critical to our future, I realize our decision affected many of you in a way I did not anticipate, and for that I am genuinely sorry," Steinhafel wrote.